Fly fishing for silver salmon is awesome.. At Alaska West, we are fortunate to have a great run of silvers each August and we look forward to their return every season. We target them on both single and double handed rods, surface and subsurface patterns, and in a multitude of water types. While most of the time fishing for silvers can be extremely fast paced, there are times when even silver salmon can get a little ‘finicky.’ As with most species salmon, bright sunny days is often the culprit and silvers are no exception.

Not all is lost however as Alaska West guide Zac Cassill has offered up a few tips from his playbook when sight fishing for silver salmon in sunny conditions. Thanks for the tips Zac!

Sight Fishing For Silvers in Sunny Conditions – 5 Tips

Fish your fly all the way back to the boat (or shore). Fish will often follow the fly a long distance, especially on the first cast. Make visual contact with your fly before pulling it out of the water. Jig the fly behind the boat or at your feet.

Think shallow. If possible, see how the fish respond to your fly. You may be able to pick out an individual fish from a pod. Skinny holding water is also a great opportunity to try a dry fly. There is nothing better than watching a coho peel off from the pod to crush a wog.

Keep moving. It is more productive to quickly fish a bank that has a few aggressive fish, than it is to swing a deep hole for long periods of time for less aggressive fish. Find the aggressive fish and move on rather than throwing the whole fly box at them.

Flourocarbon works! It is invisible, low stretch, and tough, use it! A little extra stealth can make all the difference. Smaller flies may also elicit an extra bite but always remember tip #3.

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Deneki Outdoors operates fishing lodges in Alaska, The Bahamas, British Columbia, and Chile.

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